By Clarice Burger
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Ty Monroe Murray (born October 11, 1969), is an American former professional rodeo cowboy. He competed in the three “roughstock” events; bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. He won nine world championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA); seven in all-around (1989–1994 and 1998) and two in bull riding (1993 and 1998). He was also one of the co-founders and a board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From 2005 to 2020, he was also a regular color commentator for several televised PBR events.
In 2023, Murray was ranked No. 11 on the list of the top 30 bull riders in PBR history.
Ty Murray was born on October 11, 1969, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Harold “Butch” Murray and Joy Murray (née Myers). He has two sisters, Kim and Kerri, both also involved in rodeo during their childhoods. His father competed in rodeos, broke colts for 30 years, and was the starter for The Downs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother competed as a child in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. She took first place in their bull riding competition. However, it was not long before the family moved to a ranch in Glendale, Arizona, that was around 10 miles from Phoenix.
At 12 years old, Murray purchased a mechanical bucking machine with money he saved doing chores. He joined the Deer Valley High School gymnastics team to improve his rodeo skills. Since the meets were on the weekends, though, he never actually competed in a meet.
Larry Mahan first paid attention to Murray when he was about 13 years old. Mahan, world champion rodeo competitor, was Murray’s hero. Mahan noticed him at a Little Britches rodeo. When Mahan heard Murray was going to compete in all three riding events, that piqued his interest. He wanted to meet someone who was competing like he had done. Mahan called Murray to invite him to his place in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They spent that summer flying around the West in Mahan’s plane participating in several different activities. Murray soon began a weightlifting program. That was when Murray started participating in gymnastics.
Later Murray was mentored by the world champion, who had won more National Finals Rodeo (NFR) first place “All Around Cowboy” championships than anyone in history. When Murray was in third grade, his teacher passed out a paper that asked students, “If you could do anything in your life, what would it be?” Murray immediately wrote out, “I want to beat Larry Mahan’s record.”
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
How does a pig write home?
With a pig pen filled with oink.
Born
- Johannes Fleischer (botanist) –
- Sir George Williams (founder of the YMCA) –
- Henry John Heinz (manufacturer) –
- Mary Isabella Drever Macleod (pioneer) –
- Eleanor Roosevelt (U.S. First Lady) –
- Charles Revson (founder of Revlon) –
- Jerome Robbins (ballet dancer) –
- Elmore Leonard (novelist) –
- Daryl Hall (musician) –
- Joan Cusack (actress) –
- Ty Murray (professional cowboy) –
- Michelle Trachtenberg (actress) –
- Michelle Wie (golfer) –
Died
- Meriwether Lewis (explorer) –
- Chico Marx (comedian) –
- Jean Cocteau (writer) –
- Red Foxx (actor) –
- Richard Denning (actor) –
- Neal Hefti (composer) –
- John Ruthven (Wildlife artist; died in Cincinnati, Ohio) –
- Angela Lansbury ((actress) ) –
Events
- Historic Bartram’s Garden began –
- Juliana, the first steam-powered ferry in the U.S., began service between NYC and Hoboken, NJ –
- At the age of 21, Thomas Edison completed his first invention and filed for a patent. It was an electric machine to count votes quickly, but Congress did not buy it –
- Premiere of Professor Quiz, first radio quiz show in U.S. to give away cash prizes –
- Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) received authorization from the FCC to begin transmission of color television broadcasts –
- US Air Force Major Robert M. White flies an X-15 rocket plane to a height of 217,000 feet, a record for winged, man-controlled aircraft –
- Michael Gallen set a world record by eating 63 bananas in 10 minutes –
- Saturday Night Live premiered –
- Space Shuttle astronaut, Kathy Sullivan, became the first American woman to walk in space –
- 19-pound, 2-ounce weakfish was caught near Jones Beach, Long Island, New York –
- U.S. President Jimmy Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize –
Weather
- Flash floods occurred in Oklahoma and Texas –
COURTESY www.almanac.com
